Here Are The Ten Most Disturbing Horror Movies Ever Made

The horror genre has seen its fair share of truly disturbing movies.

These films usually deal with very dark and terrifying subject matters.

Some of these seem to be designed just to shock and horrify viewers, some are clever commentaries on the genre itself, and some are considered cult classics.

Here, we’ve compiled a list of the ten most disturbing horror movies ever.

Check out our list below, and watch these at your own risk!

Funny Games (1997)

Credit: Wega Film

Funny Games is a smart, very disturbing psychological thriller that draws the viewer in, making them part of the story in a unique way.

Focused on a bourgeois family of three taken captive at their vacation house by two sadistic young men, this cult classic is a truly difficult watch that inspired an American remake in 2007.

Made by the Austrian director and screenwriter Michael Haneke, this film is a highly provocative horror flick that’s sure to make your skin crawl.

Psycho

Credit: Paramount Pictures

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A classic film is a classic for a reason.

Psycho certainly fits the bill – it’s equally as disturbing today as it was when it was released in 1960.

This psychological horror thriller is one of the most terrifying films ever made, although it’s much less explicit and provocative than a lot of the films released these days.

The movie, which is Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous work, has an enduring creepy quality that earned it a place on our list. 

A Clockwork Orange

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

This dystopian crime movie is generally considered one of the most disturbing films ever, with shocking scenes of violence.

Director Stanley Kubrick actually had to withdraw the film in the UK after its release due to a spate of copycat crimes.

The bleak picture the movie paints of a dystopian future in which the government controls people’s free will made viewers squirm with its depictions of brutal violence and sadism. 

The Skin I Live In

Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

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This psychological horror film by Pedro Almodóvar focuses on a plastic surgeon gone mad, and stars Antonia Banderas in one of his scariest roles yet.

After his wife and daughter dies, Dr. Ledgard becomes fixated on developing a burn-resistant skin.

He experiments on a human guinea pig in order to achieve his goal, leading to some truly upsetting medical scenes.

The film is intense, with a creepy atmosphere that will send shivers down your spine and scenes that’ll have you covering your eyes.

The Green Inferno

Credit: Entertainment One

This startling film, which was made as director Eli Roth’s tribute to the equally creepy movie Cannibal Holocaust, is truly disturbing.

It’s a real gore-fest, and the film contains several scenes depicting graphic violence, cannibalism and suicide.

The movie follows a group of well-intentioned college students who travel to the Amazon rainforest to stop forest clearing, but who are then captured by a cannibalistic tribe.

The movie was not well-received by critics upon its release in 2015, but horror icon Stephen King gave it a glowing review, which is praise of the highest order if you ask me.  

Rosemary’s Baby

Credit: Paramount Pictures

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This American psychological thriller, directed by Roman Polanski is another staple in the horror genre.

Rosemary’s Baby is a deeply unsettling film focused on a pregnant woman and her fears that her neighbours, who dabble in the occult, have sinister plans for her baby.

It’s a suspenseful movie that slowly builds increasing tension, with some very disturbing scenes.

Released in 1968, this movie truly stands the rest of time and is equally scary today as it was when it was made 50 years ago. 

Mother!

Credit: Paramount Pictures

This paranoia-inducing horror thriller made waves when it was released in 2017.

Darren Aronofsky’s claustrophobic film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as a husband and wife whose lives are turned upside down after a strange man starts imposing on their hospitality and disrupting their calm lifestyle.

The terrifying movie slowly builds tension that feels hugely oppressive, and the climax of the film is one of the most disturbing scenes in cinematic history.    

Antichrist

Credit: Zentropa Entertainments

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Lars von Trier’s Antichrist is a hugely disturbing movie, with a plethora of gruesome scenes.

The film stars Willem Defoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a married couple who retreat to a cabin in the forest after losing their child in a tragic accident.

There, they start experiencing strange visions and displaying violent sexual behaviour.

Antichrist divided critics upon its release, with many praising the film’s artistry and criticising its controversial sexual and erotic themes. In fact, the hugely disturbing film was banned in France. 

Hard Candy 

Credit: Lions Gate Films

Directed by David Slade, Hard Candy is an intense and intriguing psycho-thriller with a truly dark and disturbing plot.

The film stars Ellen Page who plays a 14-year-old girl who lures a sexual predator into a trap.

Tackling the disturbing subject matter of paedophilia and online grooming of underage children, Hard Candy is a dark, horrifying film. 

Midsommar

Credit: A24

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Directed by Ari Aster, this folk horror film is an extremely disturbing and violent horror movie that has many viewers watching through their fingers.

The main character, played by Florence Pugh, travels to Sweden with her boyfriend following the tragic loss of her family.

Faced with a deteriorating relationship, the couple accompanies their friend to his rural hometown known for its midsummer festival.

What initially seems like an idyllic retreat proves to be anything but, as the group of friends soon find themselves in the midst of a pagan cult with incredibly violent rituals. 

No matter if you’re in the mood for a classic horror flick, a creepy and atmospheric slow burn or a psychological nightmare, these ten horror movies are among the most disturbing films you’ll find.

We recommend that you pick what you choose to watch carefully, and have a silly comedy queued up to cleanse your palate afterwards. 

Do you agree with our picks, or did we miss out the most disturbing film you’ve ever seen?

Let us know in the comments below!

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